James Anderson has called on England and Australia to play in the right spirit of cricket as the arch-rivals prepare to lock horns for Ashes glory.

Australia claimed the urn via a 5-0 whitewash last year, in a series overshadowed by sledging as tempers reached boiling point Down Under.

Michael Clarke was fined 20 per cent of his match fee following a verbal exchange with Anderson, after telling the England paceman to "get ready for a f****** broken arm" on the final day of the first Test in November 2013.

This time around, Anderson is hoping for a sledge-free encounter, similar to the even-tempered contest against tourists New Zealand.

"I hope it's played in the same nature as the New Zealand series, that was a really positive series and the nature of both sides' cricket was helped by the spirit the game was played in," Anderson said.

"[But] there's a different relationship between the two teams, the Ashes is a huge series for both sets of players.

"If there is needle, it's something I thought I thrived on or needed in the past but having played in the last few months, I think it's important we get the balance right of playing in the right spirit, but also having that competitive edge to win a game of cricket for your country."